Match-fixing has been a major problem in most sports around the world at one time or another. In the U.S., one of the most notorious suspected cases of match fixing was in the early 20th century with shoeless Joe Jackson and the Chicago White Sox. There have been grumblings from players and fans in football, baseball, rugby, and just about every other sport out there from time to time through the years.

Now, the Portuguese professional footballers union (SJPF) has joined forces with the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) to launch an app that will allow players and others to report match fixing. Some people prefer online casino gaming today simply because there’s almost no risk of fraud or deception. Checking out one, like William Hill casino login, can highlight this simple fact.

Anonymity

One thing that appeals to players who want to combat this potentially serious issue is the fact that reporting suspected match-fixing can be done anonymously. Players can also provide personal contact information if they choose to, if they feel follow-up contact from investigating authorities could be needed.

It’s not always easy to be in the locker room of a professional sports team, feeling frustrated at the most recent loss your team suffered, especially when you know there was something that could have been done differently to win.

The moment you begin looking around the locker room, especially at the one or two players you most attribute the loss to, they don’t appear all that distraught. They seem almost relieved, or even satisfied. Could a fix have been involved?

In the past…

In the past, most players and even coaches were left to wonder what had really happened. There are sometimes suspicions within the locker room, accusations and innuendo, but match-fixing is extremely difficult to prove.

And that’s where this campaign is seeking to make inroads, helping provide a place for players, coaches, and others who may have valuable insight the chance to inform on what could be extremely damaging behaviour to the league, team, and the sport itself.

Recently, Portuguese police arrested six people in connection with a match-fixing scheme. Five of them were players from a second division team. SJPF President Joaquim Evangelista told FIFPro, “Players will only report if they trust you, and our mutual relationship is built upon trust.” He went on to add, “Despite this news [the arrest of six], people don’t realize the dangers of match-fixing. They don’t take any action to tackle the causes that are threatening the integrity of our game. Yet, there are obvious signs that cannot be ignored.”

Some of signs that a player might get caught up in match-fixing can include unpaid wages. If a player is financially strapped, he or she is more likely to be tempted by these schemes. If clubs are having financial troubles, it opens them up to questionable outside ‘investors’. Also, if there’s not a solid level of governance by the club, that can certainly be a problem.

Any steps to help cut down on match-fixing is often viewed as a good thing by clubs, fans, players, and even legitimate gambling establishments.